Building construction



y 2, 1929- o; E; ROBERTS, JR, ET AL l.7l9,782

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION I Filed Sept. 22, 1923 2 Sheets-Shee-L 1 1a a? 1a 1% A y 1929- 0. E. ROBERTS, JR., ET AL 1.719.782

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, ,1925 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 Patentedlluly 2', 1929.

1,719,782 um-TED STATES PATENT: O F-lea ovm n. noimnrs, an, AND HENRY mumrson smears, or wasnme'ron, 'ms'rnrc'r orcon -mam, ASSIGNOBS wasnmeron, nrsrnrcr or v AMERICAN IORMBLOCK SYSTEM COMPANY, .01

UMBIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

I 'nurnnme cons'rrwo'rron;

Application filed September 22, 1923. Serial No. 137,033.

This'invention relates to building construction and has special reference to double walls formed. of concrete blocks, the object being to produce a wall of novel construction which may be-hollow or solid, as preferred, and; to which plaster or stucco may be easily applied and will be positively anchored.

The invention also has for an object the production of a block of novel form which may be easily laid in. courses to produce inner and outer walls without requiring a block in one wall to be set with special reference to a particular block in the other wall and with which re-enforcing rods may be easily assembled in such a; manner as to insure 7 alignment of the blocks and their proper spacing in the .two walls. p

I Other objects will appear in the course of the following description. In theaccompanying drawings:

Figure '1 is a perspective View of a portion of a wall embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig.3 is a perspective view of an outside I corner block;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of an inside corner block;

Fi 5 is a similar view of an'intermediate -or si e block.

Referring particularlyto Fig. 5, there is shown a'side block, consisting of a body- 1, which is'substantially rectangular and of dimensions conforming to standard practice,

or to meet special requirements. On one side face, the body is formed with vertical grooves or notches 2 having parallel walls set oblique- 1y with respect to the face of the block so that the grooves or notches will not be merely surface channels but will constit ute, in effect,

chambers within the body openingthrough the side thereof, and each having one overhanging wall. As a result of this formation, when the blocks are built into a wall and a trowel is run over the surface to apply stucco thereby "firmly anchored-or kelyed inplace.

or plaste thereto, the stucco or plaster will be force into the grooves or notches and vertical alignment. By this means an adequate and full bearing surface is provided for all blocks as they are laid. The opposed side edges or walls of the lugs are formed with vertical grooves 6 where the meet the mam body of the'blook so that w en a concrete or other plastic filler, as shown at 7 in Fig. '2, is poured. into the space between the two walls, the filler will be firmly anchored to the blocks anda stable strong wall will result. In the top and bottom ofall the lugs,

grooves 8, preferably semi-cylindrical, ex

tend longitudinally of the block to receive reenforcin-g rods, as at 9 in- Fig. 1, and these grooves are all set at the same distance from faces of the lugs sothat when there-enforcng rods are placed in the grooves the blocks in a course will be aligned end to end and the blocks in superposed'courses will be held also i in proper vertical alignment, inasmuch as the rods willengage in the grooves in the meetshown in Fig. 1. I, p

In the top: and bottom of each block, there are depressionsor cups 10 to receive mortar which will form a key or dowel to bond the blocks together;

Longitudinal grooves 11 are also formed in the top of the main body of the block .to receive the ends oftie-rods 12 (see Fig, 1) which extend across the space between the inner andouter walls and engage in like grooves in the two walls to tie the walls toing faces of the superimposed blocks, as

gether. Preferably, the tie-rods are disposed so that they will pass across the spaces 5 and will be relatively thin so that they will be covered by the mortar between the courses of blooks.

In Fig. 3 there is shown an outside. corner 1 block 13 which has all'the structural features of .the side block shown in Fig. 5 and set forth in the foregoing description, except that at one end the lug 4 is omitted anda branch 14 is substituted therefor, said arm or branch extending laterally from the main body of the block. -Itwi1l be understood, of course, that while the drawing shows the branch member as formed at a right angle to :the main body it may be arranged at a greater or. ,less angle to meet the conditions in any particular building operation. 'ljhe branch 14 isprovided'at its endon 1ts inner face with a lag 15 corresponding in all respects to the end lug 4, except that it is atan angle i to the central lug. The space-16 between the lug and the'central lug 3 follows the angle of the block and a plastic filler poured therein will, of course, be keyed to the two branches of the block. The aligning and re-enfprcing rod 9 may be bent, as at 17, if desired, to conform to the angle'of the blockand thereby aid in maintaining the angle in the wall.

In Fig. 5, an inner corner block is shown. This block 18 differs from the outer corner block in having the recesses or grooves 2 in the sides of its innerangle while the anchoring lugs are formed on the sides of'its outer' angle. It' will also be noted that an angular lug '19 is provided at the outer corner of the block to project from both of the meeting outside faces of the block, and one of the grooves 8 in said lug opens through a side of the lug so that the end of the aligning and re-enforcing rod may be anchored in the plas tic filler, as indicated at 20.

In building a wall of these blocks, the blocks are laid in courses with mortar between the courses, the aligning and tie-rods being placed in position as each course is laid, it being understood that the inner and nate courses, having their longer arms or.

outer walls are erected simultaneously. In laying the courses, the blocks'are so plac'ed that they will break joint and, to this end, the corner blocks are reversed in the altermain portions in one side of the wall in one course and in the other side of the wall in the next course. In this method of construction, so far as the individual blocks are concerned, the impractical features which have characterized many previously devised concrete blocks systems are eliminated, and each wall is constructed independently of the other wall. There is no necessity for the blocks in one wall mating or having any definite position in reference to those in the other wall. The usual masonry methods and practice are all that is necessary to insure a'solid permanent construction.

After the walls have reached a suflicient height, the plastic filler 7 is poured, if a filleris to'be used, and after the building of' the wall is completed plaster 21 is applied to the inner surface of the inner wall and inside and outside corner blocks the wall corners are sharply defined and the proper relation of the inner and outer walls is assured. The peculiar form of the grooves in the outerfaces ofthe blocks provides positive and'highly'efiicient anchorage for the stucco or plaster and they are so disposed that proper anchoring of the stucco shapes of the inner and outer corner blocks as well as because of the type of construction apermanent, earthquake-proof structure is attained by this system.

The inner and outer walls may be place any desired distance apart according to the thickness desired in the finished wall without atlecting the manner in which the blocks are to be laid, and the distance apart of the two walls accurately maintained without additional structure by the use of the cross tierods 12, which always accurately maintain the proper distance of one wall from the other.

\Vhat we claim as new and desire to secure .by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A wall structure composed of inner and outer walls of su wrimposcd blocks. the blocks forming said walls having vertically extending lugs on their opposed faces with the side edges of the lugs in overhanging relation to the face of the blocks, and grooves across the ends of the lugs extending longitudinally of the blocks, aligning and reinforcing rods seated in said grooves and extending the .full length of the wall structure, tie rods having their ends engaged in the tops of the blocks in corresponding courses in the inner and outer walls, and a plastic filling embedding the lugs, the tie-rods and the aligning and reinforcing rods, whereby all of the elements .of the structure are formed into a single wall unit.

2. A wall structure composed of inner and outer walls of superimposed blocks, the blocks forming said walls having'vertioally extend-- ing lugs on their opposed faces with the side edges of the lugs in overhanging relation to the face of the blocks, and groovesacross the ends of thelugs extending longitudinally of' the blocks, aligning and reinforcin rods seated in said grooves and extending t e full length of the wall structure, tie rods having their ends engaged in the tops of the blocks in corresponding courses in the inner and lOQ ' posed of inner and outer walls. of superimposed blocks and having a plastic filling between said inner and outer walls, certain of said blocks being in angular formation to form the inner and outer corners of said structure, all of said blocks being provided with a plurality of verticall extending lugs having edge portions'in over anging relation adjacent to the p astic filling, the lugs on theouter wall of outer blocks being disposed adto the sides of the blocks, the lugs on the inner wall'of an ular blocks being disposed I jacent the plastic filling and in opposed retive tothe longitudinal axis of said blocks and said structure having a finishing surface of both walls of blocks, and bonded thereto in said grooves' aflixed our signatures.

IOVID ROBERTS; RQ I H. SHEETS. 1

In testimony whereof we. have here'unto 4' 

